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Game on, tortoises — bunny Ethel gets wheels

A British rabbit whose lost her hop is now getting around on a set of wheels made in Texas.

The four-year-old rabbit, Ethel, lost the use of her back legs after coming down with a mystery illness.

Vets advised owner Zoe Holbourne to put the rabbit down – but she refused and turned to Internet.

There, she found a mom and pop company on the outskirts of Houston that makes customized miniature carts for disabled animals and placed her order.

The Telegraph of London reports that Ethel is “now happily bounding around in the contraption, which is made from toy wheels and lightweight plastic tubing.”

Miss Holbourne, 46, said: “It looks bizarre but it is just amazing. It has given Ethel a new lease of life … At first she struggled to keep her balance and kept tipping over, but she soon got to grips with it, especially on flat surfaces. Now she loves it.”

Ethel also lost control of her bladder and bowels due to the illness, according to the Telegraph, and has to wear “a special nappy at night.”

Ethel’s was the first cart Dogs To Go has built for a rabbit, and the first they’ve shipped to Britain.

“Most of the carts we make are for dogs, but we’ll consider any animal so long as it isn’t too large, said Laurie Miller, a veterinary technician and director of Dogs to Go. “We even make some carts for skunks which people keep as pets.”

Laurie manages the company, while husband Larry builds the carts. The couple has two disabled pets of their own.

“Larry is our cart builder. He works a full time job, then comes home and builds your custom cart,” the Dogs to Go website says. “He puts a lot of love into every cart because he knows how much you want your baby to get back to a normal life.”

Comments

This is awesome! Kudos to both you and your husband for caring enough to start this business and helping out our beloved pets! I would buy a wheelchair in a second for a loved human… and in a millisecond for my loved pet!